Dr. Dale Mineshima-Lowe contributes to global research on data agency in the digital age

Dr. Dale Mineshima-Lowe, a full-time faculty member of Social Sciences and Humanities at Parami University, presented at “Collaborating with or for Artificial Intelligence?”, an online expert panel organized by The Hague Centre for Digital Governance, Leiden University, on September 29, 2025.

Her session, titled  “The Janus Face of Personal Data Agency in Public and Private Use Applications,” explored how citizens navigate the balance between privacy, control, and participation in a world increasingly shaped by data.“The Janus Face of Personal Data Agency in Public and Private Use Applications” is a chapter that Dr. Mineshima-Lowe has co-authored in the recently published Handbook on Governance and Data Science, contributing to global scholarship on data ethics and citizen agency in the digital era.

Chapter Abstract 

This research aims to develop a framework for understanding citizens’ data agency in relation to data-sharing practices. Widespread personal data collection through digital apps raises questions about individuals’ ability to maintain privacy and control over how their information is used. We examine the contrast between personal apps—used in private, consumer spaces—and apps designed for public services or collective action, highlighting differences in regulation and agency. Data agency is defined here as a combination of awareness about what data is collected and for what purposes, along with control over its use, reuse, and sale.

Understanding Data Agency

From online banking and healthcare apps to government digital ID systems, personal data collection has become an inseparable part of daily life. While these technologies make access to services faster and more efficient, they also raise an important question: How much control do citizens truly have over their own data?

Dr. Mineshima-Lowe, together with Dr. Roxana Bratu (King’s College London, UK) and Professor Sarah Giest (Leiden University, The Netherlands), investigates this question through the concept of data agency—the ability of individuals to understand and influence how their personal data is collected, used, and shared.

“So much of our lives are integrated with the digital world, which started us wondering about transparency and the potential for irregular use of citizen data. Citizens’ data is such a valuable ‘resource’ that needs further consideration about who holds it, who controls it, who has access to it, and how it is being commoditized in ways that may be against public interests,” said Dr. Mineshima-Lowe

Public vs. Private Data Practices

A slide from Dr. Mineshima-Lowe's presentation

The chapter contrasts the ways in which personal data are managed across public and private digital systems.

In the public sector, examples like the DigiD digital identity system in the Netherlands demonstrate transparent data governance, where citizens retain the right to access and understand how their information is processed. In the private sphere, apps such as Flo, a period and ovulation tracker, and Fitbit, a fitness monitoring platform, reveal a more complex relationship between users and companies. These platforms often collect technical data and share it with third parties for marketing or analytics—raising concerns about consent and accountability.

By analyzing these contrasting examples, the authors highlight the “Janus face” of data agency—its dual nature as both empowering and constraining for individuals navigating digital life.

Building a Framework for Citizen Empowerment

A slide from Dr. Mineshima-Lowe's presentation

The research aims to build a framework for understanding citizens’ data agency—combining awareness, informed decision-making, and control over data use. This framework can help policymakers and technology designers create systems that prioritize transparency, user understanding, and ethical governance.

“The framework we have come up with is a first step towards developing a matrix for comparing and identifying levels of agency across different digital apps and platforms,” explained Dr. Mineshima-Lowe.  It is hoped that having something that can provide a reference point for citizens and policymakers about citizens’ agency over data shared will create more transparency that informs choices and guides future governance developments of technology.  

Parami’s Global Academic Engagement

Dr. Mineshima-Lowe’s contribution reflects Parami University’s commitment to global research collaboration and the integration of social science perspectives in technology and governance studies. Her work connects international debates on digital ethics with Parami’s mission to foster critical, globally informed thinkers.